Microsoft's New Windows Phone 7: Novel But Lacking — Nearly four years after Apple unveiled the iPhone, and more than two years after Google introduced its first Android smartphone, Microsoft is launching its effort to catch up. On Nov. 8, AT&T and T-Mobile will begin selling …

FaceTime for Mac - a serious threat for your Apple ID — While many users are happy about having FaceTime on their Mac, we are a little anxious about some security glitches present in the current beta of the software. With a few clicks others can make use of the user's Apple ID and reset the password with ease.

Yep, Apple Killed The CD Today — Stop. Take a deep breath. Before my headline gets you all worked up, consider what I'm saying here. The CD and other optical discs, like DVDs and Blu-rays, are obviously going to live on for a while as a way to transport media.

Mozilla man accuses Jobs of ‘bypass the web’ scheme — Apple.com busts Firefox 4 — On Wednesday, as Steve Jobs went “Back to the Mac,” the fanbois of the world enjoyed their usual collective orgasm. But for Mozilla director of Firefox development Mike Beltzner, the reaction was decidedly different.

Apple looking to ditch Java? — An Apple developer has leaked the rules document governing the new Mac App Store - and it's not good news for Java. — One line in the App Store Review Guidelines says any apps using “deprecated or optionally-installed technologies”, such as Java, will be rejected from the store.

Bringing ultra high-speed broadband to Stanford homes — Earlier this year we announced our plans to build and test ultra-high speed broadband networks in a small number of American communities. Since then, a team of Google engineers has been hard at work experimenting with new fiber optic technologies.

The Tax Haven That's Saving Google Billions — Google uses a complicated structure to send most of its overseas profits to tax havens, keeping its corporate rate at a super-low 2.4 percent — The heart of Google's (GOOG) international operations is a silvery glass office building in central Dublin …

Encrypting Facebook UIDs — Over the past few days, we have been investigating a technical solution to the issue of sharing Facebook User IDs (UIDs). While initial press reports greatly exaggerated the implications of sharing a UID, we take this issue seriously.

How many German households have opted-out of Street View? — Cross posted from Der Google Produkt-Kompass — Since April 2009, people in Germany have been able to ask for their house to be blurred on Street View ahead of the product being launched. At first they could ‘opt-out’ by writing us …

Winamp for Android: Now in Beta — Winamp for AndroidTM is now in Beta! — Winamp, the Ultimate Media Player, is now available in beta on AndroidTM (Android 2.1 OS and above). It offers a complete media management solution by seamlessly syncing with the Winamp desktop library.

Resumption of the crypto wars? — The Telegraph and Guardian reported yesterday that the government plans to install deep packet inspection kit at ISPs, a move considered and then apparently rejected by the previous government (our Database State report last year found their Interception …

Books and Video Win on the iPad, and Users Are Buying — Although the iPad is still relatively new, early indications are that a majority of users are willing to pay for content on the tablet — whether it's apps or games — and that books and video are the two most popular forms of media …